In Honor of Memorial Day: 4 Random Facts You Probably Didn't Know About the U.S.

[ikissedtheskyonce]

As an American born and raised, I have never experienced being in a war but I am grateful for those that have fought for me. My way of honoring memorial day is to post some possible unknown facts about America.

1. The Phillipines used to be a US Territory

The Phillipines was bought for $20 million dollars in reimbursement to the Spanish. In 1935 the Commonwealth of the Phillipines was created with the United States' permission. July 4th, 1946 complete independence was given to the Republic of the Phillipines by the United States.

2. John Brown

John Brown was an abolitionist who believed in using violent and extreme tactics to overthrow slavery. Surprisingly there have never been any mainstream movies about him. By 1858 he even had a small army who's goal was to start rebellion among slaves. John and his followers attacked and occupied harpers ferry, they wanted to get weapons but John was caught and hanged. However, eleven of his followers survived.

3. Name origin

The country's name is actually the feminine form of the latin name Italian explorerer Amerigo Vespucci.

4. American colonists did not have "British accents"

I'm not entirely sure why this is commonly accepted by some people.

In 1776 whether a person was declaring independence or overseas with King George, their pronouciation would have been the same. Around that time American and British accents hadn't yet diverged. Most movies get this wrong in revolutionary depictions.

The Patriots and the Red Coats would have sounded closer to the modern American accent than the Queen's English. It is the British accent that has changed heavily in the past two centuries and the American accent has only changed subtly.

Sources:

1. Phillipine independence declared

2. John Brown

3.Origin of the name

4.American Colonists

[jacquesvol]

American troops invaded Russia in 1918

The Polar Bear Expedition (also known as the Northern Russian Expedition, the American North Russia Expeditionary Force - ANREF or the American Expeditionary Force North Russia - AEFNR) was a contingent of about 5,000 United States Army troops[1] that landed in Arkhangelsk, Russia as part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War and fought the Red Army in the surrounding region during the period of September 1918 through to July 1919.
The American Expeditionary Force Siberia (AEF Siberia) was a United States Army force that was "involved" in the Russian Civil War in Vladivostok, Russian Empire, during the end of World War I after the October Revolution, from 1918 to 1920. However, the American Expeditionary Force were devastated by the Siberian weather and did not fight in any battle before returning. As a result of this expedition, which failed but became known to the Bolsheviks, early relations between the United States and the Soviet Union would be low.

[jacquesvol]

Ever since, American politicians depicted Russia as an aggressor threatening America. ;)

[SunnyCaliGirl]

That is very cool I did not know some of those things, it was very interesting :)

[Nik1hil]

I wish I was sky